Predicted novel high-pressure phases of lithium

Under high pressure, "simple" lithium (Li) exhibits complex structural behavior, and even experiences an unusual metal-to-semiconductor transition, leading to topics of interest in the structural polymorphs of dense Li. We here report two unexpected orthorhombic high-pressure structures Aba2-40 (40 atoms/cell, stable at 60-80 GPa) and Cmca-56 (56 atoms/cell, stable at 185-269 GPa), by using a newly developed particle swarm optimization technique on crystal structure prediction. The Aba2-40 having complex 4- and 8-atom layers stacked along the b axis is a semiconductor with a pronounced band gap >0.8 eV at 70 GPa originating from the core expulsion and localization of valence electrons in the voids of a crystal. We predict that a local trigonal planar structural motif adopted by Cmca-56 exists in a wide pressure range of 85-434 GPa, favorable for the weak metallicity.     

SmN晶体的电子结构和高压相变的第一性原理

利用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理,研究了SmN晶体的电子结构和高压相变. SmN晶体的电子结构具有半金属特征,多数自旋电子显示金属导电性,少数自旋电子显示半导体导电性. 高压相变的结果显示,SmN晶体经历从NaCl型(B1)到CsCl型(B2)结构转变的压致结构相变,相变压力117 GPa. 弹性系数的结果显示,在环境压力下SmN晶体的弹性系数满足玻恩稳定条件,标志着B1相是力学稳定结构. 声子谱结果显示,在环境压力下B1相是热力学稳定结构,与弹性系数的计算结果一致.     

Tetrahedral clustering in molten lithium under pressure

A series of electronic and structural transitions are predicted in molten lithium from first principles. A new phase with tetrahedral local order characteristic of sp3 bonded materials and poor electrical conductivity is found at pressures above 150 GPa and temperatures as high as 1000 K. Despite the lack of covalent bonding, weakly bound tetrahedral clusters with finite lifetimes are predicted to exist. The stabilization of this phase in lithium involves a unique mechanism of strong electron localization in interstitial regions and interactions among core electrons. The calculations provide evidence for anomalous melting above 20 GPa, with a melting temperature decreasing below 300 K, and point towards the existence of novel low-symmetry crystalline phases.     

WH(n) under pressure

An initial observation of the formation of WH under pressure from W gaskets surrounding hydrogen in diamond anvil cells led to a theoretical study of tungsten hydride phases. At P = 1 atm no stoichiometry is found to be stable with respect to separation into the elements, but as the pressure is raised WH(n) (n = 1-6, 8) stoichiometries are metastable or stable. WH and WH(4) are calculated to be stable at P > 15 GPa, WH(2) becomes stable at P > 100 GPa and WH(6) at P > 150 GPa. In agreement with experiment, the structure computed for WH is anti-NiAs. WH(2) shares with WH a hexagonal arrangement of tungsten atoms, with hydrogen atoms occupying octahedral and tetrahedral holes. For WH(4) the W atoms are in a distorted fcc arrangement. As the number of hydrogens rises, the coordination of W by H increases correspondingly, leading to a twelve-coordinated W in WH(6). In WH(8) H(2) units also develop. All of the hydrides considered should be metallic at high pressure, though the Fermi levels of WH(4) and WH(6) lie in a deep pseudogap. Prodded by these theoretical studies, experiments were then undertaken to seek phases other than WH, exploring a variety of experimental conditions that would favor further reaction. Though a better preparation and characterization of WH resulted, no higher hydrides have as yet been found.     

Electron transport properties of lithium and phase transitions at high pressures

The electric resistivity and thermopower of lithium have been precisely measured at high pressures (up to 8 GPa) and temperatures from room temperature to 100°C. Transition to the fcc phase of lithium has been analyzed. The hysteresis of the direct and inverse transitions is 0.3 GPa at room temperature, decreases slightly with an increase in the temperature, and is almost independent of the prehistory of the sample. The phase transition line on the P-T diagram has a positive slope of dP/dT = 0.03 GPa/K. It is assumed that the fcc phase of lithium, which is stable at a high pressure, can appear for kinetic regions from the 9R phase, which is intermediate in energy between the bcc and fcc modifications.     

压力对有机半导体均苯四甲酸晶体结构转变和电子性质的影响

研究高压条件下均苯四甲酸(C₁₀H₆O₈)材料的结构和性质对探索有机半导体材料的应用有积极意义.基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理赝势平面波方法,开展了0-300 GPa压强下C₁₀H₆O₈晶体的结构、电子和光学性质的研究.晶格常数在压强20 GPa和150 GPa下出现了明显跳变,且原子之间随着压强变化反复地出现成键/断键现象,表明压强可诱导晶体结构变化.电子结构的性质表明,0 GPa的C₁₀H₆O₈晶体是带隙为3.1 eV的直接带隙半导体,而压强增加到150 GPa时,带隙突变为0 eV,表明了晶体由半导体转变为导体.当压强为160 GPa时,晶体又变成了能隙约为1eV的间接带隙半导体,这可能是费米能级附近仅受O-2p轨道电子影响所导致.通过对C₁₀H₆O₈晶体介电函数的分析,再次验证了晶体在150 GPa时发生了结构相变.同时...     

Microscopic origins of the anomalous melting behavior of sodium under high pressure

X-ray diffraction experiments have shown that sodium exhibits a dramatic pressure-induced drop in melting temperature, which extends from 1000 K at ~30 GPa to as low as room temperature at ~120 GPa. Despite significant theoretical effort to understand the anomalous melting, its origins are still debated. In this work, we reconstruct the sodium phase diagram by using an ab initio quality neural-network potential. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the reentrant behavior results from the screening of interionic interactions by conduction electrons, which at high pressure induces a softening in the short-range repulsion.     

硼酸锂系列晶体的高压拉曼散射研究

本文进行了硼酸锂系列晶体的高压拉曼散射及其压致相变的研究。对于三硼酸锂（ＬｉＢ３Ｏ５），我们发现在５．０ＧＰａ有一可逆的晶态到晶态的相变，在２７．０ＧＰａ有一不可逆的晶态到非晶态的相变。二硼酸锂（Ｌｉ２Ｂ４Ｏ７）不可逆压致非晶相变发生在３２．０ＧＰａ附近。对于一硼酸锂，我们研究了０—５５．８ＧＰａ范围内的高压拉曼光谱，只在２．０ＧＰａ发现了一个晶态到晶态的相变，但未发现不可逆压致非晶化现象。在硼酸锂系列晶体中，不可逆压致非晶化的压力随Ｌｉ２Ｏ的含量的增加而升高。硼酸锂晶体中Ｌｉ２Ｏ的含量越高，压致非晶化越不容易发生，这与熔体急冷法制备硼酸锂玻璃的规律是一致的。     

Ab initio thermodynamic characteristics of the formation of oxygen vacancies,and boron,carbon, and nitrogen impurity centers in anatase

Using the ab initio projector augmented wave (PAW) method, calculations are performed for the electronic energy-band structure of titanium dioxide having the structure of anatase doped with boron, nitrogen, and carbon. Thermodynamic characteristics are determined for the formation of impurity centers, such as the preference energy for the interstitial position, the energy of impurity oxidation, and the energy of oxygen vacancy formation. It is shown that under the conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium the interstitial position of boron atoms is stable, whereas carbon atoms, depending on the oxygen pressure, can occupy both interstitial positions and substitutional positions of oxygen atoms, and nitrogen atoms replace oxygen atoms. It is shown that the presence of oxygen vacancies promotes the thermodynamic stability of carbon and nitrogen atoms. The obtained densities of electronic states correspond to ESR spectroscopy data, which indicates the presence of spin-polarized electrons in the states of the oxygen vacancy.     

Hf-C体系的高压结构预测及电子性质第一性原理模拟

本论文中, 采用晶体结构预测软件USPEX结合第一性原理方法全面地搜索了Hf-C体系在高压下的晶体结构, 预测得到了两种新的化合物及HfC在高压下的相变路径. 压力低于100 GPa 时, 除了常压下的结构HfC, Hf₃C₂, Hf₆C₅, 并没有得到新的热力学稳定结构. 在200 GPa时, 预测得到了一种新化合物——Hf₂C, 空间群为I4/m; 且HfC的结构发生了相变, 空间群由Fm3m变为C2/m. 在300 GPa时, 预测得到了另一种新化合物——HfC₂, 空间群为Immm. 而在400 GPa时, HfC的结构再次发生相变, 空间群为Pnma. 通过能量计算, 得到了Hf-C体系的组分-压力相图: 在压力分别低于15.5 GPa和37.7 GPa时, Hf₃C₂和Hf₆C₅是稳定的; 压力分别大于102.5 GPa和215.5 GPa时, Hf₂C和HfC₂变成稳定化合物; HfC的相变路径为Fm3m→C2/m→Pnma, 相变压力分别为185.5 GPa 和322 GPa. 经结构优化后, 得到了这四种高压新结构的晶体学数据, 如晶格常数、原子位置等, 并分析了其结构特点. 对于Hf-C 体系中的高压热力学稳定结构, 分别计算了其弹性性质和声子谱曲线, 证明是力学稳定和晶格动力学稳定的. 采用第一性原理软件VASP模拟高压结构的能带结构、态密度、电子局域函数和Bader 电荷分析, 发现HfC(C2/m, Pnma结构), Hf₂C 和HfC₂ 中Hf-C 键具有强共价性、弱金属性和离子性, 且C-C 间存在共价作用.     

Li2C2中电声耦合及超导电性的第一性原理计算研究

通过第一性原理密度泛函和超导Eliashberg理论计算, 我们研究了Li₂C₂在Cmcm相的电子结构和电声耦合特性, 预言这种材料在常压和5GPa下是由电声耦合导致的转变温度分别为13.2 K 和9.8 K的超导体, 为实验上探索包含一维碳原子链的材料中是否可能存在超导电性、发现新的超导体提供了理论依据. 如果理论所预言的Li₂C₂超导电性得到实验的证实, 这将是锂碳化物中转变温度最高的超导体, 高于实验观测到的LiC₂的1.9 K和理论预言的单层LiC₆的8.1 K超导转变温度.     

Ca5N4高压新相的第一性原理研究

通过在氮中引入杂质离子,利用高压手段获得具有新奇结构的多氮化合物是目前被广泛应用的研究方法.钙氮材料在催化、光电方面有着广泛的应用.具有较低电离能的钙(Ca)元素很容易和氮原子形成离子键钙氮化物.高压为寻找新型钙氮化合物提供了全新的技术途径.因此,利用高压方法,通过改变配比的方式,寻找具有新奇特性的钙氮高压结构,是一项非常有意义的工作.本文利用基于密度泛函理论的结构搜索方法,在100 GPa条件下,通过预测得到了一个稳定的Ca5N4相.该结构内部氮原子之间以N-N共价单键键合,氮原子和钙原子之间是离子键相互作用,且钙氮之间的电荷转移量为1.26 e/N atom.能带结构计算表明P 21/c-Ca5N4是一个直接带隙为1.447 eV的半导体结构.最后,系统地给出了该结构的拉曼振动光谱,并指认了拉曼振动模式,为实验合成该结构提供了理论指导.     

Charge states of cobalt ions in nanostructured lithium cobaltite: X-ray absorption and photoelectron spectra

The charge states of ions in nanostructured lithium cobaltite prepared by severe plastic deformation under pressure have been determined using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy, as well as calculations of the atomic multiplets with allowance for the charge transfer. It has been found that small deformations (pressures up to 5 GPa and angles of anvil rotation up to 30°) lead to the generation of lithium vacancies in the bulk of the nanostructured material and the formation of the Li₂O phase on the surface. The charge compensation occurs at the expense of holes in oxygen 2p states; the electronic configuration of cobalt ions is 3d ⁶ L, where L is a hole in oxygen 2p states. It has been shown that nanostructured lithium cobaltite belongs to the class of insulators with a negative charge transfer energy. An increase in the degree of deformation of lithium cobaltite (at a pressure up to 8 GPa) leads to the formation of Co²⁺ ions (with the electronic configuration 3d ⁷).     

Artificial solid electrolyte interphase based on polyacrylonitrile for homogenous and dendrite-free deposition of lithium metal

High chemical reactivity, large volume changes, and uncontrollable lithium dendrite growth have always been the key problems of lithium metal anodes.Coating has been demonstrated as an effective strategy to protect the lithium metal.In this work, the effects of polyacrylonitrile(PAN)-based coatings on electrodeposited lithium have been studied.Our results show that a PAN coating layer provides uniform and dendrite-free lithium deposition as well as better cycling performance with carbonate electrolyte.Notably, heat treatment of the PAN coating layer promotes the formation of larger deposit particle size and higher coulombic efficiency(85%).The compact coating layer of heat-treated PAN with a large Young modulus(82.7 GPa) may provide stable protection for the active lithium.Improved homogeneity of morphology and mechanical properties of heat-treated PAN contribute to the larger deposit particles.This work provides new feasibility to optimize the polymer coating through rational modification of polymers.     

Influence of impurity hydrogen on the structure and properties of bulk Li and pressure effects

The structure and properties of a 16-atom body-centered cubic lithium cell with an interstitial hydrogen atom are studied using a pseudopotential-plane-wave method within the density functional theory at 0 K and high pressures. The host lattice is dramatically distorted by the introduction of H. Although the hydrogen atom is stable at the tetragonal site in perfect bcc host lattice, it favors the octahedral site formed by six non-equivalent Li atoms after full relaxation of the cell, showing P4/mmm symmetry within the pressures ranging from 0 to 6 GPa. The lattice ratio (a/c) changes irregularly with external pressure at about 3 GPa. The hydrogen band lies in the bottom of the valence band, separated by a gap from the metallic bands, illustrating the electronegativity of hydrogen. High reflectivity in the low frequency area induced by the impurity hydrogen is observed when only interband transitions are taken account of. A dip in reflectivity due to parallel band transitions is observed at ∼0.4 eV. Another dip at ∼4.3 eV appears when external pressure increases over 4 GPa.     

FP-LMTO investigations of mechanical stability and high pressure of platinum nitride compounds

We report local density functional calculations using the full potential linear muffin-tin orbital (FP-LMTO) method for binary platinum nitride (PtN), in five different crystal structures, the rock salt (B1), zinc-blende (B3), wurtzite (B4), nickel arsenide (B8), and PbS (B10) phases. The ground state properties such as the equilibrium lattice constant, elastic constants, the bulk modulus and its pressure derivative of PtN in these phases are determined and compared with the other available experimental and theoretical works.Our calculations confirm in the B3 structure that PtN is found to be mechanically stable with a large bulk modulus B=232.45 GPa and at a sufficiently high pressure the B8₁ structure would be favoured.The theoretical transition pressure from zinc blende (B3) to NiAs (B8₁), zinc-blende (B3) to rock-salt (B1) and zinc-blende (B3) to PbO (B10) is determined to be 9.10 GPa, 9.85 GPa and 69.35 GPa, respectively. Our calculation shows also in five different structures for PtN a high bulk modulus is a good indicator of a hard material.     

Structural stability and phase transitions in K8Si46 clathrate under high pressure

The structural stability of type-I K8Si46 clathrate has been investigated at high pressure by synchrotron x-ray diffraction. In contrast to that observed in the Na-doped structure-II analogue [A. San-Miguel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 5290 (1999)]], no phase separation into the beta-Sn Si structure was identified at 11 GPa. Instead, K8Si46 is found to undergo a transition to an isostructural positional disordered phase at around 15 GPa. Ab initio phonon band structure calculations reveal a novel phenomenon of phonon instabilities of K atoms in the large cavities is responsible for this transition. Above 32 GPa, the new structure transforms into an amorphous phase.     

Ab initio studies on ammonium iodine under high pressure

Ammonium iodine(NH_4I) as an important member of hydrogen-rich compounds has attracted a great deal of attention owing to its interesting structural changes triggered by the relative orientations of adjacent ammonium ions. Previous studies of ammonium iodide have remained in the low pressure range experimentally, which we first extended to so high pressure(250 GPa). We have investigated the structures of ammonium iodine under high pressure through ab initio evolutionary algorithm and total energy calculations based on density functional theory. The static enthalpy calculations show that phase V is stable until 85 GPa where a new phase Ibam is identified. Calculations of phonon spectra show that the Ibam phase is stable between 85 GPa and 101 GPa and the Cm phase is stable up to 130 GPa. In addition, ammonium iodine dissociates into NH_3, H_2, and I_2 at 74 GPa. Subsequently, we analyzed phonon spectra and electronic band structures, finding that phonon softening is not the reason of dissociation and NH_4I is always a semiconductor within the pressure range.     

Equation of state of LiCoO_2 under 30 GPa pressure

LiCoO_2 is one of the most important cathode materials for high energy density lithium ion batteries. The compressed behavior of LiCoO_2 under high pressure has been investigated using synchrotron radiation x-ray diffraction. It is found that LiCoO_2 maintains hexagonal symmetry up to the maximum pressure of 30.1 GPa without phase transition. The elastic modulus at ambient pressure is 159.5(2.2) GPa and its first derivative is 3.92(0.23). In addition, the high-pressure compression behavior of LiCoO_2 has been studied by first principles calculations. The derived bulk modulus of LiCoO_2 is 141.6 GPa.     

Compressibility anomaly in the superconducting material Nb3Al under high pressure

Nb₃Al, which is widely used in high field magnets, was studied under a range of pressures up to 39.5 GPa using diamond anvil cell. The Nb₃Al superconductor is structurally stable up to the highest pressure of the present investigation from previous reports. However, an anomaly of the compressibility beyond 19.2 GPa was detected in the pressure versus volume plot. The curve of volume versus pressure shows the existence of a plateau around 18.0 GPa as seen in several other highly correlated electrons systems, The observed pressure-induced isostructural phase transition was accomplished with a volume inclination without any symmetrical change (space group, Wyckoff position). The physical mechanism behind this isostructural phase transition is the interesting issue for further studies.